Locals and visitors alike enjoy Windermere’s unique offer and stunning centre; but the town’s transport network and lack of affordable housing is under strain. Vehicle access to Windermere station and the town centre are inefficient, key junctions can be congested, whilst pedestrian and cycle links are poor.
Windermere Gateway is a series of projects, involving landowners, businesses, stakeholders and developers, all working together to secure a vibrant future for Windermere. It is a long term vision that will unlock opportunities for a mix of new homes, jobs, sustainable transport connections and a real sense of arrival for residents and visitors alike. Proposals will be progressive, yet sensitive to its world class landscape and natural beauty. It is an ambitious and considered plan for a prosperous future.
At the November 2024 meeting of the the Lake District National Park Authority's Development Control Committee, the highways and access planning application submitted by Urban Splash was approved with conditions.
The plans pave the way for highways improvements including the creation of a new pedestrian route, enhanced cycle connections, and enhancements to the A591 and Thwaites Lane, with the works to now be taken forward by Westmorland and Furness Council.
Click here to go to the planning application and committee report.
The proposals for housing are at an early stage, with some high-level ideas being shared at Urban Splash's March public consultation for highways works.
Planning applications for housing proposals are planned to come forward in 2025. Ahead of any planning application for housing being submitted, there will be further design development, pre-application discussions with the local authorities and public engagement organised by the developer to ensure that the community are consulted in the process. Once the dates of any future public consultation are known, these will be shared with the community.
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Establish a transformational new gateway for Windermere which sustainably connects to the onward travel network and significantly contributes to the vibrancy of the town by delivering affordable and local needs housing, employment opportunities, and improved sustainable travel opportunities for residents and visitors. The intervention will deliver design excellence, sensitive to the world class landscape in which it is situated.
Following a period of public consultation and engagement, the Windermere Gateway Transport Infrastructure Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) was adopted on 15 December 2021.
The primary purpose of the SPD is to ensure a strategic and co-ordinated approach to transport, travel and movement infrastructure provision within the Windermere Gateway area that facilitates the delivery of the enhancement of Windermere Station and its role as a sustainable transport interchange and the development of Orrest Head Farm as a mixed use site for housing, employment and tourism.
Within the area of the Windermere Gateway is the Orrest Head Farm, which was partially allocated for mixed-use in 2013. The site was identified from a public ‘call for sites’, subject to multiple rounds of assessment and public consultation, cumulating in an examination of the entire Allocations of Land Plan by a Planning Inspector.
The strategic site was then allocated as a larger site (9.05ha) in the Local Plan (2021), under Policy 14, for a mixed-use development comprising of around 150 dwellings, 1200sqm of employment floorspace and 3,800sqm of tourism floorspace. The detail of how the Orrest Head Farm allocation will be delivered will be determined through future pre-application and planning application stages.
Supporting information can be found using the following links:
Windermere Gateway Transport Infrastructure Supplementary Planning Document (pdf)
Since the adoption of the Supplementary Planning Document, the Windermere Gateway has continued to make progress, through close collaboration with partners within the Vision Group and establishing a programme of works. The graphic below shows how the proposals adopted in the SPD will be delivered through a series of projects.
View a larger version of this image here.
The sections below provide more detail about each of these projects, including a project overview, project update and indicative timescales.
Crucially, all projects remain in development and are subject to change to reflect the current design stage, planning requirements, funding requirements/availability, and current planning policies.
In bringing forward much-needed homes for Windermere, its important that necessary infrastructure improvements are first made in order to facilitate any future development.
Plans to upgrade existing highways infrastructure will prioritise sustainable transport, with a focus on pedestrians and cyclists, in line with aspirations of the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).
The Lake District National Park Authority's Development Control Committee have approved the highways and access planning application submitted by Urban Splash.
The plans pave the way for highways improvements including the creation of a new pedestrian route, enhanced cycle connections, and enhancements to the A591 and Thwaites Lane, with the works to now be taken forward by Westmorland and Furness Council.
Click here to go to the planning application and committee report.
Discussions are taking place regarding the timescales for Westmorland and Furness Council to carry out the highways improvements, taking into account funding and planning approval for the housing site.
Funding to support the delivery of the enabling highways works is being sought through Homes England's Brownfield Infrastructure and Land fund. Homes England's primary role is to support the building of new homes, therefore the criteria for this funding is that the infrastructure is directly linked to unlocking the housing delivery.
Housing proposals will seek to provide high-quality, affordable, new homes for Windermere, putting sustainability at the forefront, adopting sustainable drainage strategies, creating improved cycle and pedestrian routes, promoting open space, green infrastructure and habitat creation.
In 2019, Urban Splash were appointed by landowner, National Trust, as developer partner to take forward the shared vision for housing and employment needs on the allocated land at Orrest Head Farm.
Ambitious proposals, which are subject to a future planning application, seek to deliver in the region of 200-250 new homes for Windermere.
In line with policy, all homes will be secured for permanent occupancy, supporting the delivery of new local homes for local people. i.e. not second homes or holiday lets.
Urban Splash will be working with a registered provider to bring forward the affordable homes on site.
The proposals for housing are at an early stage, with some of the initial ideas being shared at Urban Splash's public consultation for highways works in March 2024.
Ahead of any planning application for housing being submitted, there will be further design development, pre-application discussions and public engagement organised by the developer to ensure that the community are consulted in the process. Once the dates of any future public consultation are known, these will be shared with the community.
Click here to find more information on Urban Splash's webpage.
Outline planning application anticipated 2025
A new Lake District Office for the National Trust will enhance the new gateway into Windermere, underpin the economic success of the town, create new workspaces and be well situated to make the most of improved transport links.
As part of the proposals (which are subject to a future planning application), the National Trust plan to move from its current Grasmere office to a new, purpose-built office at the Orrest Head Farm site. This new office seeks to create a sustainable working space that is fit for the future and meets the changing needs of the charity’s staff and partners.
The opportunity for a new office will provide a central point for National Trust staff to deliver their work, creating collaborative working space next to transport links for sustainable travel and supporting accessible working for their teams.
The existing listed farmhouse and listed stone-barn are currently being assessed for repair. The purpose will be reviewed as part of the plans alongside the new-build office for Trust staff.
Click here to find more information on National Trust's webpage.
Outline planning application anticipated 2025
Improvements to the existing railway station at Windermere will create an enhanced sense of arrival and better facilities for rail and bus passengers to the town, offering visitors a greater, world-class welcome to the Lake District.
Ambitions to create a new transport interchange at the station continue to be central to the vision for the Windermere Gateway.
To understand the possibilities of how to create this transformational new gateway an initial feasibility study was undertaken in 2023.
The Windermere Gateway station improvement feasibility study received £45,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and was administered by Westmorland and Furness Council.
The study assessed the existing station area and, through stakeholder engagement workshops, looked at existing opportunities, constraints before continuing on to explore potential solutions.
Initial ideas ranged from low to high level of intervention. Low level interventions included minor improvements such as real time passenger information boards (RTPI), lighting upgrades, forecourt surface upgrades and new signage. High level interventions looked at opportunities to move existing railway buffers to create links across the booths car park, a new station building, upgraded surfaces, signage, lighting and public realm areas.
High level costs have been provided for each of the options, ranging from circa £300,000 to £7,500,000. The level of works to be delivered will ultimately be determined by the funding that can be made available.
Opportunities to take advantage of redistributed HS2 monies through the Local Transport Fund (LTF) are currently being explored with Westmorland and Furness Council.
Network Rail continue to be partners involved in the project Vision Group, and have reviewed the concept studies.
Click here to find more information on Westmorland and Furness Council's webpage.
To be determined
Supported by the delivery of the station improvements, aspirations for Windermere’s new transport interchange seek to create a hub of activity for a range of passengers in addition to significant upgrades to the immediate area through forecourt enhancements, public realm interventions and improved wayfinding.
Ambitions to create a new transport interchange at the station continue to be central to the vision for the Windermere Gateway.
To understand the possibilities of how to create this transformational new gateway an initial feasibility study was undertaken in 2023 as part of the station improvements study.
The study assessed the existing station and car park area and, through stakeholder engagement workshops, looked at existing opportunities, constraints before continuing on to explore potential solutions to improve this space for people to switch modes of transport.
Network Rail continue to be partners involved in the project Vision Group, and have reviewed the concept studies.
Click here to find more information on Westmorland and Furness Council's webpage.
To be determined
We will continue to work with Westmorland and Furness Council, Network Rail, Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, Windermere and Bowness Town Council, the National Trust and their development partner, Urban Splash, as well as key landowners/local businesses to deliver the Windermere Gateway.
